Allianz Tops Off Skyscraper with Corporate IDAllianz exercises their awarded top of the building signage rights to 1633 Broadway in NYC with some monster channel letters. How they got them there is a story unto itself. Read on...

LED Maintenance ThoughtsWith the almost total acceptance of LED for channel letters and increasing use of dedicated modules for cabinet lighting, our industry has to look at the long term effects of such a liability free product.

Hard Rock Café: An ode to the guitarRock & Roll! It's the music of the world and it's sound is stroked from a group of musical instruments, but central to its melodies is the guitar. Who can love rock & roll and not have a favorite guitar riff, or favorite guitar moment? Step inside the world of the Hard Rock guitar legend.

Hershey’s ­ How Sweet It Is: The Eye-Candy of Times SquareIn the middle of all its surrounding Times Square spectaculars, billboards and sign edifices, stands the flagship Hershey Times Square, a retail gift store which is a chocolate confectionary paradise that is the center of the chocolate universe.

Coke- It's the Real Thing!In making its presence known to a thirsty public, Coca-Cola's familiar bright red background, cursive script logo and contour bottle has been printed, painted, postered and plastered on the sides of delivery trucks, on billboards, and on buildings in just about every major city around the world.

Take Me Out to the Ball GameCincinnati’s Great American Ballpark offers proof positive that effective sign design can inform, entertain, commemorate ­ and stand out in a crowd.

LEDs: 'Channeling' More Opportunities to Sign MakersTechnology advancements continually improve the way sign companies conduct business. One of the segments of the sign industry advancing quickly due to new technology is the electrical sign industry, and specifically, the illuminated channel letter segment.

High Brightness LEDs Shine OnLight Emiting Diodes (LEDs) have distinguished themselves as a highly unique and significant lighting source that has both immediate and far reaching consequences for the sign industry.

Lighting Up with LEDsLEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) are increasingly playing a larger role in both the architectural and signage market. Over the past few years, more and more LED system providers are offering LED channel lighting products and more are expected to enter this field.

Channel Letter Lighting...To Be LED or Not To Be?Channel letters fill a need for corporate IDs and building identity programs on the sides of building and have done so for decades. Times are changing and more than filling a need is that the channel letters are now filled in terms of their lighting source.

Promoting NeonThe neon trade has a relatively short history and sadly, much of it is marked with secrecy and distrust that perseveres even today. This keeping apprehension stems from an earlier time when neon was novel in the marketplace, sovereign in the sign trade and extremely profitable. Folks tried to steal or conceal their neon secrets; those tricks of the trade that they believed would propel them or maintain their lead within the industry.

Finding the Neon Light, Part Three - The Father of NeonInspired in part by Daniel McFarlan Moore's invention, Moore’s Lamp, Paris born chemist and inventor, Georges Claude (1870 - 1960) discovered that passing an electric current through inert gases made them light very brightly.

Finding the Neon Light, Part Two: The InsightsWe continue illuminating neon’s rise from historical darkness with the second article in this series of three. This one attests the observations and endeavors of other’s helped to build the products, tools and materials used in our trade today.

Finding the Neon Light, Part One ­ The ElementsConsider this series of articles “how-you” more so than “how-to.” Because hopefully they will help uncover how you fit into neon’s rise from the depths of historical darkness, from the ocean of time past to the bright neon wave of the present.

Neon and Fluorescents: A Circus of SimilaritiesWhen properly manufactured and installed a neon tube can light for decades and it is far more efficient than an incandescent bulb. But it is arguable that the fluorescent won the tube lighting system honor, that it became the illuminating tube du jour.

Three Neon Myths DispelledI’m sure you’ve heard it said, “Neon uses a lot of electricity.” It’s a common misconception. Unfortunately, there are held by the public many misconceptions about neon: “Neon is expensive,” “Neon is a public safety hazard.”

Mercury In The ShopMercury or quicksilver as it is called, is that shiny, silver-white, odorless liquid we neon craftsman innocently roll into argon filled tubes to brighten them. We also use it in some diffusion pumps attached to our tube pumping system to aid tube processing. But did you know mercury is everywhere?

Troubleshooting Basic BendsIt goes without question that many smaller elements make up a sign. And that the quality of each component contributes to the sign’s total caliber.

The Layman’s Science of Tube ProcessingTo describe the science of tube processing would rely heavily on physics and chemistry. Both are sciences with developed vocabulary, common equations and laws.

Making the Cut In the process of making neon, one of the most important procedures is the cutting and splicing of the glass tubing. There are many different techniques and various tools that can be used that I would like to discuss.

Jacob's LadderThere is a safer way to work with a bombarding transformer. Learn how to create your own Jacob's Ladder

Welcome to the Neon & LED Channel Letters Category. Neon signs are the first thing you think of when anyone mentions New York City or Las Vegas. They illuminate the night sky and bring about beautiful, brilliant colors. The concept behind neon signs was first conceived in 1675, when the French astronomer Jean Picard observed a faint glow in a mercury barometer tube. Today many businesses use LED channel letters to call attention to their company, while others simply use them to promote store hours or products they are featuring. For many years this type of advertisement set companies apart and brought with it business. Restaurants, taverns, stores, even tanning salons are frequent purchasers. Today, neon signs and LED channel letters are synonymous. We continually add articles to this section, so be sure to check back often.